


Liability

by blackheartwings



Category: Harvest Moon, Harvest Moon: Animal Parade, Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility, Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Crossover Pairings, Flash Fic, Friends With Benefits, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Jealousy, Love Triangles, Multi, One-Sided Attraction, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-09-29 02:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17194976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackheartwings/pseuds/blackheartwings
Summary: What starts out as a casual meal between friends turns into a biting exchange. Angela lets her jealousy and possessiveness slip for a moment, and a moment is all it takes for her real feelings to slip through the cracks. But does she dare tell Chase the whole truth?





	Liability

“I made it with my heart and soul, so if it’s a little charred at the bottom, that’s why." Angela joked. "It's not like I left it in the oven for too long or anything.” **  
**

Chase and Angela had a dance. They didn’t call it that, but they also didn’t deny the fact that it was there. No, their carefully crafted little facade was undeniable and unmentionable. Don’t talk about the elephant in the room.

But also, don’t ever let the farm girl cook for the trained chef ever again.

The two sat and ate, Angela casually dodging Chase’s biting remarks on her cooking with sly retorts and winks. That was all part of the game, you see, and the two of them made excellent players. They talked about idle things; the restaurant, the farm, the bar where they met, but it all eventually led to one topic in particular.

Elliot. He who was once a pleasant diversion and a shared "toy" became a source of anguish for Chase. An issue that Angela, quite frankly, had no idea how to deal with. The two of them had known each other much longer than she had known Chase, so it almost felt out of place for her to offer in-depth advice. Not that it stopped her. There wasn’t a whole lot that did.

They went about their usual teasing -  by now it was essentially scripted:

“So, how is he?” Angela would start. A casual question that far too often spiraled out of control.

“I don’t know," Chase would reply with a shrug. "last I checked you were sleeping with him too.”

“Wow, jealous much?”

“I’m not jealous. You and I fucked a few days ago. Why would I be jealous?”

“Uh huh. You’re not jealous. Just like you don’t call me when you’re all outta options”

“If you want me to stop calling you, just say so.” Chase countered.

“Don’t stop calling me.” Her reply came hastily every time. And every time he would notice.

“Maybe  _you’re_  the jealous one!”

That last bit seemed to affect her more, these days. Regardless, she’d bite her tongue and deny it. That’s what she always did. Deny, deny, deny. She was dead inside anyway, incapable of feeling any sort of attraction; romantic or sexual. Or... she thought so, at least. Now, every time she looked at Chase she wasn’t sure if what she felt was the growing affection of friendship or something else.

That point aside, they matched each other that way. Though - Chase was probably capable. More than likely. He just decided not to, opting to drive away the chance of even getting close to something like that.

And yet, there they were. Friends with benefits - heavy on the friends, with the benefits being a small side - despite everything.

Today though, Angela snapped, just as Chase proclaimed - for the millionth time - that he  _hated_  Elliot. The plates she had gathered crashed unceremoniously into the sink as she whirled around to face her friend.

“So then stop.” She hissed through her teeth, absolutely fed up. “I _know_ you get some sick thrill out of sleeping with him - believe me, I fucking know better than _anyone_ what it’s like - but you need to  _stop_. I can _see_ how he’s messing you up, trying to turn you into someone you’re not.” A fork bitterly slammed into the dishes. “And you can swear up and down how you aren’t completely in love with him - _I_ know it’s bullshit." She pointed at herself. " _You_ know it’s bullshit." She pointed at him. "But it doesn’t have to be this way, god damn it!”

The words were flying out faster than she could stop them. A fire blazed in her head and chest. “I’m not going to give you that stupid ‘Pick me, choose me, love me’ crap. I’m not going to ask you to do anything. Just sit down and think for a goddamn _second_ and ask yourself if that’s really what you want. Someone who changes you to be the way _they_ want you to be or someone who lo-” 

She stopped herself short, not daring to speak the word out loud. Her hands balled into fists, knuckles turning white as she turned away.

“I’m not saying you should pick anyone or anything. Just know that there are some people who like you just as you are.”

A small voice whispered in the back of her head, speaking words she dare not let spill out into the harsh world of reality. _“_

_We could be alone together. Would that be so bad?”_

And another, much less daring than the first. 

_"We could be so good together."_


End file.
